Are you a tired mom?
I get it. Motherhood is exhausting – between taking care of ourselves, our homes, and our children, doing everything can easily lead to burnout.
But it doesn’t have to be this way!
You can live a happy and fulfilling mom life without exhausting your energy.
It’s all about getting your ducks in a row and finding balance – and I’m going to show you how!
But before we get into how to deal with exhaustion and burnout as a mom, let’s talk about what mom fatigue looks like:
Signs of Mom Fatigue
Mom fatigue goes way beyond the need to crash in bed at 8:30 in the evening.
It involves feeling completely drained and sometimes emotionally empty – and it feels different for every mom who experiences it.
If you’re not sure if you are experiencing mom fatigue, here are some signs you should look out for:
- You pressure yourself to do everything perfectly.
- You are emotionally and physically exhausted (which can make it hard to control your feelings).
- You feel like you’re living on autopilot.
- You are having a difficult time bonding with your little ones.
- You feel shame and guilt about not being good enough.
- You feel lonely.
When you’re dealing with mom fatigue, it’s important to take steps to alleviate your exhaustion and prevent burnout.
Here are some things you can do:
1. Clear Your Plate
Look at your life as a big plate – there are things that need to be on that plate (like keeping your kids alive) and things that can be removed from the plate (like volunteering at the school’s bake sale).
Clearing your plate means looking at your priorities and determining what needs to be done and what you can let go of.
Oftentimes, overwhelmed moms feel like there’s nothing they can cut back on, leading them to work harder to get everything done.
Hello, mom exhaustion!
It’s time to let go of perfectionism and accept that some things are going to go by the wayside.
2. Find Your Mom Friends
The only people who are going to understand your mom fatigue are other moms!
Mom burnout can be a lonely experience, but having a group of mom friends can help you realize that you are not alone.
They are also a great source of support.
There is no shame in relying on a community of peers to help you through motherhood.
So it’s important to establish a mom tribe of friends and acquaintances for support, help, and advice.
3. Spend Time With Your Non-Mom Friends
It’s also important that you stay connected with your non-mom friends, those that you knew before you had kids.
Or even those you have met after having kids!
These are the people who know you apart from being a mom.
Even though they may not be able to empathize with you, they are vital because they can give you different perspectives and remind you of who you really are.
4. Focus on Your Self-Care
Self-care doesn’t have to be all about bubble baths and warm cups of tea.
Self-care refers to doing activities that are just for you that make you feel relaxed and calm.
This can involve joining a yoga class or watching Netflix in bed. No matter how you do it, self-care is all about you!
And whenever you need to tap out and do something for yourself, make sure to tap out. Focusing on yourself regularly will help to clear the overwhelm and prevent mom fatigue.
5. Get Outside
Going outside is free and extremely beneficial to your physical and mental health!
A simple walk, even with your kiddos in tow, can do wonders for clearing your mind.
If you can get out by yourself, you can try calming techniques such as walking meditation or grounding.
When you practice grounding, you literally stand on the ground in your bare feet. Walking meditation involves focusing on one particular thought as you walk (or no thoughts at all!).
6. Set Boundaries
Many moms suffer from mom fatigue because they have fallen into the trap of becoming “yes people.”
They take on unnecessary activities, whether they have room in their schedule or not.
When you struggle to keep your own life straight, it’s okay to set boundaries with others by giving yourself ground rules when it comes to volunteering your time and efforts.
Don’t worry about coming off as selfish or rude – you need to be your own priority!
7. Take Care of Your Body
Even a lot of mom stress comes from outside circumstances, and your physical health can also contribute to how much and how often you feel stress.
You can start addressing your mom fatigue by eating well.
This doesn’t mean going on a “diet” to lose weight – it simply means paying attention to what you eat to ensure your body gets the right nutrients and vitamins.
This is easier said than done for busy moms who turn to processed and fast foods to save time, but simply adding a vegetable to every meal or creating a meal plan can make a huge difference!
8. Delegate Responsibilities
Being a mom means that there is at least one other warm body in your household – so put them to work!
While you don’t have to run your kids ragged doing chores, having them pitch in is a great way to alleviate your responsibilities.
Even if your child took care of their own messes, it would be a huge load off your shoulders.
It can be difficult to get your kids excited to do chores, but it’s well worth it when it comes to dealing with your mom fatigue!
9. Organize Your Household
If it’s the state of your home that leaves you feeling exhausted, try purging and organizing your home.
The less stuff to put away, the less work to do!
Keep other aspects of your home life on track by using to-do lists, grocery lists, and calendars.
Keep clutter at bay by designating “tidy boxes” for everyone, so you can easily toss in their stuff as you’re cleaning up.
Check out these other tips for keeping a clean and organized house when you have kids.
10. Celebrate Your Wins
Most importantly, you need to celebrate your wins!
Mom fatigue happens when you run out of steam trying to get everything done and when you don’t, it’s hard to sit back at the end of the day and feel like you’ve accomplished anything.
Be sure to celebrate your victories and bask in the glory of having children who are alive, fed, clean, and happy!
You Don’t Have to Be a Tired Mom
Motherhood doesn’t have to be stressful! We should be enjoying our time raising our children.
But making this experience enjoyable and non-exhausting does take some work – but it will pay off in the end.
How do you deal with being a tired mom? How do you recharge? Let us know in the comments!
